The Office of Strategic Initiatives (OSI, formerly the Office of Planning and Evaluation) is part of the Dean's Office and is directed by Dr. Amelia Arria, Associate Dean for Strategic Initiatives, with support from faculty and students. OSI hopes to amplify the value of each member of the SPH community as we move forward with implementation of our Strategic Plan. Primary activities include:
- Collecting, managing, and analyzing data related to accreditation and annual reporting for external agencies (i.e., CEPH, ASPPH) as well as SPH and campus stakeholders. Unit chairs are briefed regularly to foster a data-driven quality improvement process to achieve educational and research goals.
- In collaboration with the SPH community, coordinating and overseeing the implementation of the initiatives under the four pillars in the Strategic Plan.
- Developing a knowledge engineering pipeline to translate our research findings into actionable steps for community members, academic partners, policy makers, and the general public. This activity involves highlighting how the work of the SPH complements and advances our understanding of contemporary public health problems as well as how these challenges can be overcome in innovative ways.
Other activities of the OSI will be considered on a case-by-case basis to determine whether or not additional funding over and above the core OSI funding will be required.
Associate Dean for Strategic Initiatives
Amelia M. Arria received a B.S. in Human Development and Family Studies from Cornell University, a Ph.D. in Epidemiology from the University of Pittsburgh Graduate School of Public Health and completed post-doctoral training at the Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health.
Director of Operations
Kathryn B. Vincent Carr received her B.A. in Sociology from Wake Forest University, and a M.A. in Criminology and Criminal Justice from the University of Maryland, College Park. Kathryn is the liaison for all OSI requests from faculty and staff.
Senior Strategic Analyst
Brittany A. Bugbee is the Senior Strategic Analyst for OSI. She received her B.A. in Spanish, B.S. in Community Health, and M.P.H. in Community Health from the University of Maryland, College Park.
Senior Technology Specialist
Katie Hippen is the Senior Technology Specialist for OSI. She received her B.S. in Family Science from the University of Maryland, College Park, and a M.A. in Sociology from Georgia State University.
Project Coordinator
Grace McManus received her B.S. in Family Science and a M.P.H in Behavioral and Community Health from the University of Maryland, College Park. She is the Project Coordinator for the Central East ATTC and PTTC evaluations.
Graduate Assistant
Katie Roberts is a Graduate Assistant for OSI and a graduate student pursuing an MPH in Health Equity.